Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in It Ends with Us, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Cycles of Abuse
Naked Truths
Good and Evil
Chosen Family
Summary
Analysis
Eleven months later, Lily is pushing Emmy down the street on her way to Ryle’s. Three months after Ryle’s birth, Lily moved out of the apartment she and Ryle had lived in together. Now she lives walking distance from both work and the building where Ryle, Allysa, Marshall, and Rylee still live. She is happy that she is able to spend so much time there, too, and that Emmy gets to know her family. Lily is late meeting Ryle and quickens her pace. She is surprised when she hears someone call her name.
Despite the anguish Lily experienced throughout the novel, the epilogue shows how her decision to love herself and her daughter first, hold Ryle accountable, and be vulnerable with the people she loves has paid off. Her chosen family is intact, her daughter is healthy, and she and Ryle are successfully co-parenting. Lily is well on her way to healing.
Themes
When Lily sees blue eyes, she knows it’s Atlas. He is thrilled when he sees the baby. Atlas tells Lily how beautiful Emmy is and how good Lily looks, too. Lily assesses Atlas, noticing how handsome he’s become. Lily gets another text from Ryle. She explains to Atlas that it’s Ryle’s day to care for Emmy, and Atlas is relieved to hear that Lily and Ryle are no longer together. Atlas tells Lily that he’s late, too—he opened a new restaurant in the neighborhood. Lily promises to bring her mother to the restaurant soon, and then she and Atlas part ways.
When Lily and Atlas run into each other on the sidewalk, their lives are completely different from when they said goodbye at Lily’s old apartment. Lily, in many ways, has found her way to wholeness through her own inner strength and the support of her loved ones. The self-doubt that undermined Atlas’s ability to pursue Lily has passed; he continues to succeed in his business and seems genuinely happy.
Themes
Lily drops Emmy off with Ryle. They share a pleasant exchange about her playpen and scheduling. Ryle is confused when Lily heads back down the street instead toward her store. She tells him that she will see him tonight when she picks Emmy up. Lily takes off at full speed while calling Atlas’s name repeatedly. Finally, he hears her and turns around. When he sees Lily, he starts walking toward her. Lily explains that she wants to tell him Emmy’s middle name: Dory. Atlas breaks into a smile when he realizes she’s named after Ellen DeGeneres’s character in Finding Nemo.
Seeing Ryle doesn’t distract Lily from her feelings for Atlas as it once would have. Instead, it confirms for her both how fully she has healed and what—or who—she really wants now that she’s ready. When Lily catches up to Atlas and tells her Emmy’s middle name, Atlas understands that Lily has given her the name Dory to honor him; he understands that her sharing this fact is a declaration of love.
Themes
Lily isn’t sure how to proceed. They stand awkwardly for a moment before Atlas pulls her into a firm embrace. He kisses her head as traffic streams past them. Finally, Atlas tells her that he is sure his life is good enough to include her in it. Lily freezes in fear for a moment, feeling like a child again. After a moment, she responds. She asks if he donates to charity, wants kids, and plans to stay in Boston. Atlas responds yes to all her questions. Lily tells him that she feels ready, too. They hold each other. As Atlas kisses the spot on Lily’s shoulder he always loved, where her heart tattoo is. He tells her that she doesn’t have to swim anymore because they’ve made it to shore.
For the first time since they were teenagers, the timing works out for Lily and Atlas. The timing is right not by happenstance or chance, but because both Lily and Atlas worked hard to heal from their traumas. Each found their way to their own truth and fought for their own happiness, and in doing so, they are able to find each other again. Their bond is no longer based on pure survival; they are able to simply love each other well, reveling in the other person for exactly who they are.
Themes
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